San Diego is less than ninety miles away from the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, a straight drive south on Interstate Highway 5. You can also take a bus or train from Anaheim or Los Angeles to San Diego, but once you're in San Diego, having a car will certainly be helpful.

If you're only making a one-day side trip to San Diego and your Anaheim-area hotel offers a good rate and meets your needs, you could easily stay put. However, if you plan to spend more than a day in San Diego, you'll be better off changing hotels and avoiding all the extra driving.

If you're looking to stay at a world-class resort, you'll have several to choose from in the San Diego area, but there are also many affordable hotels and motels suitable for families. Determine your accommodation needs using the information in Chapter 4; then follow the tips in Chapters 2 and 3 to help you get a nice room at a good rate. Most San Diego visitors stay downtown (especially if they're attending a convention) or in the area called Hotel Circle near the intersection of I-8 and I-5.

If you need information for your San Diego visit beyond what's presented in this chapter, you can find information about the city's most popular sights at http://gocalifornia.about.com/od/casdmenu/ or contact the San Diego Convention and Visitors Bureau at (619) 236-1212 or www.sandiego.org. They also offer free publications and discount coupon books.